Roll dispensing hanger



Get. 3, 1939. T. w. MULLEN ROLL DISPENSING HANGER Filed May 6, 1938 I77V6' 77 for Thomas MAM/:7; 2 5/ fliiorrveys Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to means for supporting a roll of paper toweling or the like in which there is employed a hollow core.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a very simple, cheaply constructed, and easily operated device which, while exceedingly durable, is readily installed and permits the easy exchange of a full roll for an empty core and at the same time offers means for preventing l0 spinning of the roll as a sheet may be torn away therefrom along a perforated line or the like as is the usual formation in rolled paper sheets.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated more or less diagrammatically by the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, an end elevation;

Fig. 3, a front elevation, and

Fig. 4, a detail in top plan view of a tensioning or friction means.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

The invention comprises a central member it, here shown as awire provided with suitable means for attaching to a support such as a wall ll.

Such means in the present form consists of eyes l2, two in number in the present showing, and integrally formed in the wire by looping it as indicated in Fig. 3. The material from which the member 10 is made should be of such nature as to be elastic such as spring wire, if wire is to be employed, or a band of metal having the characteristics of a spring. From each end of the central member ID, arms l3 and [4 respectively are carried forwardly and directed inwardly somewhat one toward the other so that when a roll of paper I5 is inserted between the outer ends of these arms, the arms will have to be spread apart one from the other to permit entrance of the roll therebetween.

The outer end of each arm 13 and hi is formed to enter within the core it of the roll Hi from the respective ends thereof and is further formed to loosely engage circumferentially about the inner side of the wall of the core I 6 so that these formations may serve as guides and supports around which the core l6 may turn as the roll I5 is unwound.

In the present form, where wire is employed, the outer end of each arm is bent around in the form of a circular loop 11, Fig. 2, to have the diameter thereof of that size as will permit the loop ii to enter freely within the end of the core I 6. It is to be noted that this loop I! is spaced back within the core I6 a distance from its end through which the loop is entered, and 6 this spacing is effected by providing the short leg It, by bending the wire inwardly and then turning the loop I! substantially at a right angle therefrom.

It is further to be noted that a friction or 10 tensioning device is produced by having a part of each arm l3 and Id come into frictional engagement with the end of the roll, preferably the end of the core, as indicated in Fig. 4, where the arm actually bears against the outer end of the core at the bend from which the leg I8 is turned into the core. Since both arms 13 and 14 are originally formed to have their outer ends normally closer together than the length of the roll l5, these two arms will, therefore, compresso sively engage the roll 15 therebetween with the engaging points being located at the core ends. On the other hand, the loops ll are spaced peripherally sufficiently from the inner wall of the core as to permit the roll to unwind easily in 25 respect toany drag about these loops.

When the loops l! are formed as indicated, they provide convenient means for engaging ones fingers therewithin to permit pulling the loops outwardly, as indicated by the dash lines in Fig. 0 1, to permit disengagement of the core and replacement by a new roll. As indicated in Fig.

1 the arms l3 and i l may have one or more turns of the wire between them and the central member 10 in order to provide suficient resil- 35 ience. Otherwise, particularly when the arms I3 and M are required to be quite short, too much friction may be exerted against the ends of the core without providing these turns I9 and 20, as indicated in Fig. 1. The only reason for 40 setting up the frictional engagement is to prevent spinning of the roll 15 and to offer some resistance to turningin order to prevent tearing 01f lengths of the paper from the roll.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one form as now best known to me, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed including the use of fiat bar stock as well as round stock without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I, therefore, do 50 not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A holder forhollow core rolls including a 55 resilient wire supporting member having a body and end portions extended at an angle thereto, and inherently converging toward each other, to provide a pair of arms, the free terminals of said arms being of substantially ring form so as to conform to and lie Within the hollow core of the roll, said arms being further formed with substantially right-angled parts disposed at the arcs of the rings nearest to the body, so as to aiford free access to the rings in spreading the arms to remove and replace the roll, and portions of which right-angles parts engage the adjacent end parts of the roll to provide definite braking means for the roll.

2. A holder for hollow core rolls including a resilient wire supporting body having end portions extended at an angle and inherently converging toward each other to provide a pair of arms, the free terminals of said arms being of substantially ring form so as to conform to and lie within the hollow core of the roll, said arms being each bent inwardly adjacent the ring portions so as to provide a part to engage the adjacent ends of the roll and thereby to afford definite braking means vfor the roll, and said ring portions being connected to the arms at the arcs of the ring portions nearest to the body whereby their inner circumferential walls are entirely free and unobstructed by any portion of said arms so as to permit the insertion or removal of a finger at any point throughout the inner circumference of the ring portions, when removing or replacing a roll in said holder.

THOMAS W. MULLEN. 

